Your Team

The AOC team has worked as a group practice of six obstetric specialists since 1998. We were originally based in a small villa in Parnell and then moved to a site next to the old National Women’s Hospital in Claude Road. For the last twelve years we have occupied part of the ground floor of the Birthcare building in Titoki Street. As a group we have delivered over nine thousand babies.

Obstetricians

Lynda Batcheler

MB ChB MRCOG FRANZCOG

Lynda has looked after pregnant woman for more than 30 years and has been with AOC since the beginning. She has a wealth of experience looking after high risk pregnancies. She also has an interest in recurrent miscarriage and general gynaecology. Lynda has a weekly antenatal clinic as a visiting specialist at Auckland City Hospital. She has three grown up children and a young grandchild.

Astrid Budden

Degree in Obstetrics, FRANZCOG

Astrid graduated from medical school in Göttingen, Germany and completed her specialist training in New Zealand and Australia before joining the AOC team in 2012. Astrid is also a specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist at Auckland City Hospital. She has a special interest in diabetes in pregnancy and Ultrasound. Astrid is also an instructor for an obstetric emergency training course (MOET). She is married with two teenage children.

Eva Hochstein

MB ChB FRANZCOG

Eva graduated from the University of Auckland, training in obstetrics and gynaecology in Sydney. She joined AOC in 1998 after working in private practice in Sydney. She also has an interest in general gynaecology and colposcopy. Eva is married with twin boys.

Katherine McKenzie

MBChB, Dip Obstet, FRANZCOG

Katherine graduated from Auckland University and trained in obstetrics and gynaecology in New Zealand and the UK. She joined AOC in 2015 and also works as an obstetrician and general gynaecologist at Auckland City Hospital, where for the past 10 years she has also been part of the faculty running the department’s obstetric emergency training programme. Katherine is married with two teenage children.

Kirstie Peake

MB BS (Lond) FRANZCOG DDU (ASUM)

Kirstie trained at London University (Royal London Hospital) and completed her post graduate training in and around Oxford. She came to New Zealand in 2000 and worked as a part time specialist at Middlemore Hospital with an interest in fetal medicine. She was also part of the multi-disciplinary team running Middlemore's obstetric emergencies training programme. Kirstie joined AOC in 2013 and works between AOC and the Women's Health Scanning Department at Auckland Hospital. Kirstie lives on a lifestyle block and is married with two teenage children.

Martin Sowter

BSc MB ChB MD FRCOG FRANZCOG

Martin graduated from the University of Birmingham and then trained in Bristol before coming to New Zealand in 1995 to spend three years undertaking research for an MD thesis at National Women’s Hospital. He returned permanently to Auckland as a specialist in 2001 and joined AOC in 2002. He is a part-time specialist at Auckland City Hospital and at Fertility Plus. Martin also co-ordinates the hospital’s obstetric emergencies training programme for midwives and medical staff. Martin is married with two teenage daughters, the youngest delivered under the care of AOC.

Associate Obstetricians

Tim Dawson

MBChB FRANZCOG

Tim graduated from the University of Auckland in 1994. He trained in obstetrics and gynaecology in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. As well as his work with AOC, Tim is a specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist at Auckland City Hospital, sub-specialising in urogynaecology. Tim joined AOC in 2008 and while he has retired as a director, he is staying on as an Associate Obstetrician. Tim is married with three school age children.

Paul Macpherson

MB ChB MRCOG FRANZCOG

Paul has been part of the AOC team for the past 15 years. As his other work commitments have increased, Paul now works as an associate obstetrician. His experience and expertise are valued within the group. Paul has been in private practice since 1994 specialising in high risk pregnancy and general gynaecology with a subspeciality interest in urogynaecology. He works part-time at Auckland City Hospital as the lead consultant in the hospital’s urogynaecology service. Paul is also a senior specialist in the hospital’s gestational diabetes clinic. Paul is married with four grown up children.

Paediatrician

Peter Nobbs

MB ChB FRCPC

Peter graduated from the University of Auckland in 1977. He trained in paediatrics in Auckland and then at McMaster University, Ontario, before returning to National Women’s as a specialist in paediatrics and neonatology in 1988. Peter worked as a paediatrician and neonatologist at National Women’s until entering full time private practice in 2004. Peter’s particular interest is in newborns and children up to 24 months of age. As well as clinics every week at AOC he is also able to attend deliveries and see newborn babies post-natally at National Women’s and Birthcare. Peter has two grown up children.

Reception Staff

Reception Staff

Heather, Charmaine, Vanessa and Francis are our reception staff. Together “our girls” have logged over 40 years working at AOC watching many young babies grow up as couples have come through having their families under AOC’s care. As a team they take great pride in providing a friendly, efficient and informative service to the couples we look after.

Clinic Manager

Jane Patten

Jane joined us in 1998 as Clinic Manager and has seen AOC grow and move from our original rooms in Parnell to alongside the old National Women’s site in Claude Road and then onto our current home in the Birthcare building. Jane is available most days if you have any questions about how AOC works or need more information to help you decide on a lead maternity carer.